WEST CHESTER — Authorities filed criminal charges Friday against the man who allegedly shot and killed two family pets on Feb. 12 in the Chester Springs section of West Vincent.

Gabriel Pilotti, 72, was charged with two counts of cruelty to animals and one count of recklessly endangering another person for fatally shooting two of his neighbor’s pets on his property in the first block of Pine Drive.

Pilotti was charged with recklessly endangering another person because a nearby home was occupied at the time of the shooting, officials said.

“There was no justification for the killing of these two dogs,” Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said. “The defendant has been charged and will be dealt with appropriately. Our sympathies go out to the family and children who lost their beloved pets.”

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The Bernese Mountain Dogs, 1-year-old Fiona and 2-year-old Argus, were killed with a shotgun after they escaped from their fenced-in yard in the first block of St. Anthony Lane. The Bock family, the dogs’ owners, said they got out of the yard through a hole in a fence caused by a falling tree limb. The family was not aware of the fence’s damaged section because it was not visible from the home, Mary Bock said.

Once on the loose, Bock said, the dogs made their way through several nearby properties and ended up at Pilotti’s home on Pine Drive, where he keeps several sheep.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the West Vincent Police Department, investigators initially determined the shootings were legal due to a state allow that allows the killing of dogs who pursue pets or livestock.

During the initial investigation, Pilotti told police that at 11:20 a.m. on Feb. 12, he looked out his kitchen window and saw two dogs in his pasture chasing his sheep, the complaint said. He then retrieved a single shot 20-gauge shotgun and three buckshot shells. According to complaint, Pilotti told police he killed both dogs while they were chasing his sheep inside the enclosed pasture.

With that explanation and no other witnesses, police and the District Attorney’s Office determined that the shooting was legal under state law.

But on Thursday Pilotti was voluntarily re-interviewed by investigators at the West Vincent police station, where he presented a different story, according to the criminal complaint.

During that interview Pilotti told police that he shot first at Argus while dog was slowly trotting toward him. The dog was shot in the head and immediately fell dead to the ground. Pilotti then reloaded his shotgun and fired at the female dog, Fiona, while she was running away from him and the sheep, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, Pilotti was standing outside of the enclosed pasture when he fired at both dogs, and no sheep were in danger at the time of the shooting.

Hogan said that Pilotti’s original statements to police suggested that he was aware of legal language that initially led investigators to determine the shooting was legal.

“It appears clear that he was aware of the law and he reacted with knowledge of the law in mind,” Hogan said.

Mary Bock said Friday that she and her family were pleased with the charges and expressed hope that the incident may lead to a change in legislation that allowed the shooting to first appear legal.

“We are moving in the right direction with this,” Bock said. “Our intention was never about going after Mr. Pilotti, nor do we condone any lynching of this man. Instead we hope he understands that what he did was wrong and caused us a lot of pain. He seemed to feel with the law on his side, his actions were justified.”

Pilotti’s attorney, Thomas H. Ramsay of West Chester, said Friday that his client was remorseful for the incident and took action out of fear for his livestock’s safety.

“As referenced in the criminal complaint, Gabe is exceedingly remorseful for what occurred on his property that day, and he is in prayer for the family and especially the young children,” Ramsay said.

The Feb. 12 incident was not the first time Pilotti shot and killed dogs in defense of livestock, officials said. According to the District Attorney’s Office, on May 6, 2012 he shot and killed two pit bulls when he discovered them attacking his neighbor’s animals. Two sheep and an alpaca were killed by the pit bulls in that incident, and three other sheep were injured.

Ramsay said that statements Pilotti reportedly made to the Bock family in the days after the recent shooting must be understood in the context of the earlier incident.

“Gabe’s comments that he would ‘shoot first and ask questions later’ must be understood in the context of what occurred in the May, 2012 incident during which numerous animals were killed or maimed before he took action,” Ramsay said.

The Bock family said their dogs were simply following their instincts in an attempt to “herd” the sheep, behavior that they said the dogs often exhibited with their five young children in their home’s backyard.

Pilotti, who has no criminal record, was issued a summons Friday directing him to answer to the charges at a preliminary hearing on March 28, according to court records.

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EARLIER VERSION OF THIS STORY

WEST CHESTER — Authorities Friday announced criminal charges in connection to the Feb. 12 killing of two family dogs in the Chester Springs section of West Vincent.

Gabriel Pilotti, 72, was charged with cruelty to animals and recklessly endgangering another person for killing two of his neighbor’s pets.

“There was no justification for the killing of these two dogs,” said Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan. “The defendant has been charged and will be dealt with appropriately. Our sympathies go out to the family and children who lost their beloved pets.”

The Bernese Mountain Dogs, 1-year-old Fiona and 2-year-old Argus, were killed with a shotgun after they escaped from their fenced-in yard in the unit block of St. Anthony Lane. The Bock family, the dogs’ owners, said they got out of the yard through a hole in a fence caused by a fallen tree limb. The family was not aware of the fence’s damaged section because it was not visible from the home, Bock said.

Once on the loose, Bock said, the dogs made their way through several nearby properties and ended up at Pilotti’s home on Pine Drive, where they were shot after apparently chasing several sheep.